


Where's Home?

by muselesswriter



Category: DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe, Character Development, Friendship, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Jason Todd Deserves Better, Jason Todd Feels, Jason Todd Has Issues, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Non-Sexual, POV Third Person, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Reader-Insert, Titans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-13 17:43:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21192047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muselesswriter/pseuds/muselesswriter
Summary: this is basically dedicated to everyone who watched Titans' S02EP07 so if you haven't, you've been warned.After the little conversation Jason and Dick have on the rooftops, Jason found himself unable to spend any more seconds in the tower with those people who filled his head with nothing but lies so he ran, and without knowing how and why, he found himself in the corner of the milk aisle of a supermarket, far away from home.this is for everyone who wanted nothing but hugs Jason after that episode and make sure he gets the love he deserves.





	Where's Home?

> “Can I tell you something that I haven’t told anyone before?”
> 
> “I killed Deadshot’s son”

Dick’s words repeated themselves in the boy’s head as he ran none stop, he couldn’t believe it, coming here, he thought things would be different but it’s as if he’s cursed, the people he looked up to blame him for shit he didn’t do, the kids who he thought were his friends didn’t really give two damns about him and now Dick! The one person who he idolized! A murderer! And worst of all, everything is being blamed on him!

He remembers talking to Dick on the rooftop, almost jumping to save everyone some trouble, he remembers charging at him and yelling and even crying but he doesn’t remember how he ended up in the corner of a supermarket far away from home with nothing, no cellphone, no money, no tracking device _-thanks to Slade-_ and with zero ideas of how he’ll return home!

You, a cashier at the supermarket who couldn’t help but notice the boy sitting in the corner next to the milk aisle, he’s been there for hours, he doesn’t seem like a homeless person or a junkie, so you let him stay, after all, all he did was sit there quietly, he didn’t try to steal anything so That’s a good sign!

Until it was time to close up, you walked to the boy and looked at him “hey there, we’re about to close up, I know hanging in the milk aisle is fun and all but it’s time for you to go home” you said in the friendliest way possible, he looked up at you with his eyes all puffy red and his expressions all sad and confused “hm?” That’s all he managed to say, you couldn’t help but sympathize with him, a teenage boy no older than seventeen, “uhh... what’s your name?” You asked now taking a few steps closer “Jason” he mumbled softly.

“Okay, Jason, you should go home, do you have one? Do you need me to call you an Uber?” You pulled out your phone out of your pocket and opened the application “I’m… I’m not sure” he said looking down, you felt both concerned and confused, so you leaned down and kneeled in front of him “look, honey, I’m trying to help you, so I’ll need you to be more specific, what happened?” You asked him then noticed the bruises on his lips and left cheek, did his parents do this to him? Was he running from an abusive family? “I… you don’t have to, no one really can help me..” he mumbled again.

Something about him made you feel like you’re obligated to help, you can’t let a child spend the night on the streets! “Maybe, but maybe I can help make this day slightly less shitty, now do you have a place to stay?” He shook his head no, you gave him a little smile “well, now you do, I’ll go grab my stuff then we can go to my place, I have an empty couch with your name all over it” he hesitated before he finally nodded.

You went to the back of the store and picked up your bag, _what the hell am I doing?_ You asked yourself,_ am I really gonna take a kid to my apartment? But also I really can’t leave him in this side all alone, they’ll eat him alive and he’s obviously not in a good state that he could defend himself,_ you thought to yourself as you locked your locker and walked back to him, he didn’t bother to move from his place, you stood in front of him “come on, let’s go” you smiled at him politely, he looked at you confused for a few seconds before he remembered everything that happened a few minutes ago, he was so full of his own thoughts that nothing really interested him right now. 

You could tell since he didn’t even bother asking you your name, you lead the way out of the store with him following you behind, quiet, almost making you forget that he was there until you saw his reflection at the glass door of the store as you locked the place behind, the two of you walked to your apartment which wasn’t far away, only ten minutes of walking, which you found refreshing, but tonight, the distance seemed longer than you remember, you lead the way upstairs to the ninth floor, there was an elevator but you preferred the stairs since your schedule was too busy for a workout, you walked the hallway then stood in front of the fourth apartment and pulled out the key out of your bag then opened the door.

You walked in, Jason stood at the door until you gave him permission to come in for the second time, you figured he had a rough day and that's why he’s so disconnected and that’s something you personally understood, you showed him around very quick, it was a small apartment so it didn’t take much time, bedroom, bathroom, living room/ kitchen type of thing, it had drawing supplies thrown everywhere and canvases, some with paint others were empty, and that’s about it.

“Did you eat anything?” you asked as you made your way to the fridge, you had pizza leftovers from yesterday, and you put them in the microwave, “N-no, not that I remember,” he said, you waited for the timer to set off then put the leftovers in a plate, you gave him the plate with two slices and a soda and took one for yourself “well, you have to eat something, and then perhaps get some sleep? I’ll get you a blanket and a pillow” you smiled as you took a bite of your slice “thanks Y/N” he mumbled as he started eating, you looked at him surprised, you didn’t mention your name to him earlier, you are pretty sure of it! How did he know it? Was he sent by someone? Did he know you “how did you-” you asked but your question was immediately interrupted “nametag” he pointed out at the name tag on your chest, you blushed embarrassed of how idiotic you sounded.

The rest of the meal was quiet, he didn’t talk and you didn’t push it with questions, you are already involved enough with the boy who’d probably be gone by the morning, hopefully he wouldn’t kill you in your sleep or try to sell your barely working TV.

after eating you went to your bedroom and returned a few minutes later with a pillow, bed covers, and a blanket, you asked him to get up and opened the couch which made it a second bed, whoever created bed-couch is a genius! You put on the sheets and transformed the brownish couch into a comfortable bed with few minutes, which Jason laid on gratefully “wake me up if you need anything okay?” you said politely as you turned off the light, he simply nodded “goodnight” he said in a whisper and closed his eyes, you sighed and went to your own bed after changing into your PJs, falling asleep shortly after.

Unlike you, Jason couldn’t fall asleep, he tossed and turned for about two hours until he finally gave up, he got up and started wandering around until he finally found something familiar, the window, he looked through it and then he was trapped in his own thoughts again, _falling, all over again, almost dying, the feeling, the fear, it never really left him, but now it wasn’t just that, he fell from the building, Connor saved him, he went back and everyone blamed him for not being good enough, Dick lied to him, he ran_, the events kept repeating themselves until he lost track of time again.

You woke up at the sound of the alarm and stretched a little, another day bringing you closer to your big gallery opening! You are twenty-two but had your life organized, in the mornings, you work on your painting, later you take a nap and go to your job at the restaurant then take the night shift at the supermarket, you had an exhibition in a month, your very first and you were working your ass off, never had a break ever since you earned the opportunity.

You got up and went to the bathroom quiet, not wanting to wake Jason up, and did your morning routine, and then headed to the living room, you glanced first at the couch, the covers and blankets were a mess, which meant he struggled to sleep, but again he wasn’t there, you scanned the room with your eyes to see if he’s anywhere to be found, and there he was, standing, looking through the window, you walked closer to him but he didn’t really pay you any attention “Jason?” you asked, he jumped and looked at you, blinking, “did you sleep at all?” you asked but he shook his head no “I tried, it was a little too much, anyways thanks for everything, I’ll be out of your hair now” he said making his way to the door but stopped once he heard you calling his name again.

“Can we discuss this after coffee?” you sighed and rubbed the back of your head, he looked at you confused but nodded, you were so generous with him, the least he can do is drink coffee and discuss things with you, you nodded and walked to the kitchen, preparing two cups of coffee for both of you, “is it okay if I make us breakfast?” he asked as he took a few hesitant steps to the kitchen sector, you raised an eyebrow at him, “are you **seriously** asking me if it’s okay to make us **food**? Hell yeah, man! Do you need anything?” you smiled, he definitely seems better than yesterday, Jason opened the fridge and looked through it for a few seconds before he grabbed two eggs and cheese slices “just a frying pan, spatula, and salt” you nodded and placed everything on the counter for him, he made you both cheese omelet and you both sat down at the table and had a delicious breakfast.

For some reason, this felt so natural and normal, eating together, cleaning up together, for someone you just met yesterday, you were so at ease around him “you know you can stay if you want right?” you started the conversation after placing everything back in their right place “of course not, you just picked me out of the supermarket, I can’t be a burden any longer,” he said, seriously, yesterday you barely was able to get three words out of him and now he’s saying full sentences, that's an improvement! “Where would you go?” you asked, he shrugged “somewhere else” he said “back home?” you asked once again “I’m not sure where’s that anymore” he replied as he looked down “exactly my point! Look, you have two options the way I see it, you can either stay here, you can help around while figuring whatever is going on with your life, or go to streets and trust me you don’t want this, not in this side of the town” he appreciated how you didn’t really ask him questions about what happened to him, cause honestly he doesn’t know either, and you knew if it’s meant to be, he’d tell you everything in the right time.

“You can think about it, I’ll go do some grocery shopping, I really hope I’d find you when I return but if you decide to leave please leave the key under the vase” you patted his shoulder which only made him flench a little, so you pull your hand away quick “sorry” you mumbled and headed to your bedroom, you changed into yoga pants and a hoodie then picked up your handbag and went out to a nearby grocery shop to pick up some items, paints, food, drinks, hoping to find him when you return.

Jason stood there, leaning against the counter as he thought about it, he literally has no idea where he is, he doesn’t even have his phone to contact anyone! But again, who would he contact, **Bruce**, The man who sent him away because he was too much even for the man who thinks everyone is savable? **Dick**, who let him take the fall for his own mistakes and made him feel unworthy? His **teammates**, who hated his guts even though he barely did anything to them? Or the **Titans** who he admired and blamed him for everything? He has no one, none of them truly care about him, so there go his options of going home, and Y/N is right, he can’t be on the streets again, he barely survived the nights as a cunning child, let alone now, scared and broken.

Which left him with one choice, stay here, with the person who basically helped him without knowing anything about him, maybe it’s a sign, a new beginning, but Y/N seems like a wonderful person, he can’t do this to them, he can’t ruin their lives too, by the time you returned Jason was still standing in the kitchen and thinking, you smiled a little knowing he’s safe, he looked at you “don’t, I couldn’t figure it out,” he warned, your smile didn’t fade away “the way I see it, you already did, now come on, help me with the groceries, I barely have time to work on my paintings before my shift” and so he did.

You set your timer to ring after two hours and dove into your own world of art and creativity, while glancing at Jason every now and then to make sure he’s okay, at first he’d wander around and explore where everything is, then he stood there in front of the window and disconnected once again, you didn’t understand what was so interesting in that window, yes maybe it was the only one in the house but it’s not like you had a nice view or anything, just a bunch of other skyscrapers.

When the alarm set off, you wiped your hands with a towel then took a few steps back to look at the painting which was forming to be the boy standing in front of the window, you picked up your work bag with your uniforms in it and looked at Jason “I’m going, I’ll be back later tonight, please don’t spend your day staring at the old lady in that building, try to get some rest would you?” you said referring to the old woman in the building in front of yours, Jason looked at you confused but he nodded.

You walked out and headed to your first part-time job, put on your waitress uniform and that’s how your day was boring and usual, you barely caught any break and whenever you did, you couldn’t help but think about the younger boy in your apartment.

Jason continued to stand there and stare, it was like a never-ending show, he fell from the building, _Connor saved him, he went back and everyone blamed him for not being good enough, Dick lied to him, he ran,_ but this time, something else was added by the hundredth time, **“don’t spend your day staring at the old lady in that building”** your voice echoed in the back of his head, he scanned the building with his eyes until he saw her, the old lady with six cats, watching TV, he shifted his entire attention to her, looking at her made him feel calm, calm enough to forget, and after a while, he was calm enough to do something else.

he took a few steps back until he found himself in the kitchen, **“I could use some help around the house”** your sound repeated again in his head, he prepared a meal, surprisingly he knew how to cook since his mother never did that, nothing fancy though but he could make food that would be good enough for your stomach to be full, and so he did, he put it in the oven to keep it warm then looked at the window, he was walking towards it again when he glanced at the space you made for him to sleep **“try to get some rest”** you told him, that he remembers, everything you’ve said so far is good, you wanted to help him, maybe if he’d listen, he’d feel better, so he laid down and closed his eyes, even though it was challenging, even though the window was screaming for him to look through it, Jason managed to fall asleep.

When you returned it was past eleven o’clock, you were glad to see him asleep, but that feeling immediately disappeared when the room was filled with soft whimpers and choked sobs, they weren’t coming from you that for sure but from the younger boy, you put your things away then leaned down in front of him, gently putting your palm on his back “Jason” you said softly as you tenderly shook him awake “Jason wake up” you said again when your first attempt didn’t work, his cries were getting louder and more violent so you shook him “Jason! Wake up!” You said louder, and then he was awake.

Panting and crying, you didn’t need to think it through, your body did the thinking as it embraced him in a hug “shhh… it’s okay, you’re okay, it was a bad dream” you soothed, Jason fought your embrace, he isn’t weak! He’s got this! But the tighter you held him, the more he knew he needs this, eventually he gave up and hugged you back, hiding himself in the crock of your neck “it’s gonna be okay” you whispered in his ears repeatedly and he focused on your voice, you want to help him, he trusted you.

When you felt his heartbeat stabilize you pulled away, Jason’s body let out a whine, not ready to let go of that warm, safe feeling, yet, he was so surprised when you only did that so you could sit on the couch and open your arms for him, he chewed his inner cheeks as he looked at you, he’s not weak, this is pathetic, hugs weren’t his thing but now he craved those feelings he’d get from receiving a hug from you, so he gave up and minutes later he ended up curling on your lap and clinging to you for his life, you held him closely and run your fingers through his hair, you remembered this used to help you relax when you were younger.

“I understand if you wanna kick me out now” he mumbled after about an hour “I don’t, I just wanna know what’s up” you assured him again, it’s true, you didn’t want him gone, you wanted him to feel okay, you wanted him to stand on his feet as you did and be okay “okay… understandable… I **obviously** had a nightmare about a few days ago when I was kidnapped then basically everything that happened for the past few days” he said, not daring to look at you, his face buried deep in your chest that if you weren’t so close you wouldn’t hear a word “were you running from your kidnappers?” You asked, he scoffed “that person threw me off a building and tortured me yet he was nicer than most of the people I encountered” you frowned at his words, how’s it possible that he’d think being thrown off a building and tortured is nice? What on earth did those people do to him? Was it related to why he kept standing in front of your window? Thousands of questions rushed through your brain but you didn’t want to push it.

“I’m poisonous, I ended up causing troubles everywhere I go, I’m sorry” he mumbled softly, you looked at him more confused than ever “how’s that?” You simply asked even though you knew the answer wasn’t as simple “people get hurt wherever I go, Juvie, Home, it’s always the same,” he said, trying to keep it as vague as possible “I don't believe in that” you understood now why you felt the need to help him, he reminds you of you! “You should, I mean here I’m, one day here and look! I’m already disturbed you! And it’s a matter of time until something happens and you get hurt! You seem like a nice person, you should just kick me out” he sighed and pulled away from your hug, wiping his tears with his sleeves as he sniffed “that’s not true, I’m not disturbed, I’m worried, there’s a difference, You know the difference right? You’d be disturbing if you cut open the couch and threw my pillows out of the window while screaming, and you obviously didn’t do that” you shrugged “I’m **not** kicking you out” you assured him again.

He shifted from your lap to the couch and nodded “I made food if that’s okay, I figured you’d be starving” he said as he looked down at his fist, you smiled and got up “c'mon! Let’s eat!” You offered him a hand and he took it, the two of you sat down and ate with small talk filling the room, you told him about your day, he told you about how he spied the whole time at the old lady, later you both decided to call it a night and sleep.

It’s been **a week** since Jason entered your life, he told you everything, from how his mother was a junkie and his father was in prison, how he had to take care of the both of them from a very young age and how hard life on the streets was, especially for a kid who lived on stealing car accessories, how he met Bruce and thought everything would be fine but he ended up being trapped in his past, even now he remembers the cold hands of his mother’s boyfriends as they hit him for not bringing enough money and how they threatened to kill the woman if he ever disobeyed.

The image of his mother lying lifeless on the bed after overdosing, it took him two days to figure out... this time she won’t wake up, how he ended up in Juvenile once and watched his friend get killed for a stupid disagreement, how Bruce was never at ease whenever he’s around that he finally sent him away.

He’s angry but his anger was mostly a self-defense mechanism to protect himself, which at first Bruce admired but later Jason became too much so he sent him off to San Francisco which was a two hours drive from where you are, you couldn’t help but think of how the boy ran all of the distance!

He told you about Dick, how he thought highly of him but the other failed him, he didn’t defend him and barely cared, how everyone treated him like the enemy even though he wanted nothing but to prove himself worthy, fuck! he loved them but they made him feel so useless and pathetic no matter what he did! But most importantly, he told you about his none stopping nightmares, they’ve gotten so bad he basically couldn’t wake up from them, you had to bring him to your bed just to keep him close so whenever he has one you’d be there to wake him up and remind him it’s just a bad dream.

By time you figured out a few things about him, he loves being hugged but you can’t do it without any warnings otherwise he’d jump and try to fight you before he finally realizes what was going on, you learned that whenever he stands in front of the window it means he’s lost deep in his thoughts and wasn’t able to push his near-death experience out of his head, so whenever he was like that you’d do everything to catch his attention and distract him.

He knew how to cook, nothing you knew of, mostly he put ingredients together and voila it was edible, eventually you decided to take him shopping, he can’t spend the rest of his life wearing your oversized hoodies and PJ pants, he needed some clothes of his own, anyways, and yes the money was tight but you could spare a Franklin every now and then, you were planning on buying new curtains with it but it wasn’t needed, since Jason admired the view so much.

It was your day off, and you finished your painting for the day, you picked up your handbag and waited for him to finish getting dressed, he walked to you wearing his jeans from earlier and a grey hoodie with “fuck people, Cats are Cool” written on it and winking cat, you thought it was funny when you first bought it, you also appreciated the graphic art of the cat! You laughed at his sight and he huffed “it was either this or Fab and I know it, your hoodies are weird” he said in his defense, you nodded “I liked the drawings on them” you shrugged as the two of you made your way out of the door, you walked downstairs to a store nearby, it had priceable clothes, something like good-will but a little bit fancier.

“I get it why your clothes are all printed with cliche catchy phrases” he sighed as he went through the clothes in the stores “oh come on, they're not that bad! Besides, you could use something to go out in beside this, so put your judgy side aside and try to find something okay? That’s all we can afford for now” you said as you tried to pick out a few pieces for yourselves as well “I can get a job too you know?” he suggested, you knew that already but you weren’t sure if that was a wise decision for now at least, he needs help not responsibilities, which brings you to your next thing on your to-do list which is seeking the help of a professional, he obviously has some sort of PTSD and even though you could help him settle down, comfort him, and buy him stuff every now and then but that wasn’t enough help.

“I know, but how about I do the work and you do you” you patted his shoulder then found a blue plain blue shirt and showed it to him “what do you think about this?” he shrugged “not bad” he mumbled then looked at you “look, I’m staying home all day and barely doing anything, I feel so fucking useless, and I know you were barely able to pay bills before me, and now with your exhibition on doors everything is way more stressful, and I know I’m not at the best state of mind but I can help, I’ll get a job and be home way before you, you wouldn’t even notice I’m gone, please?” you looked at him confused, you’ve never told him about your financial issues, as a matter of fact you are counting on selling your paintings otherwise you’ll have to vacate the apartment “I went through your stuff, sorry” he said as he noticed the confused look on your face “but that’s **only** because you left me home alone with nothing to do, **if** I had a job I’d be too busy to do that” he added defensively.

“Look, I got this-” you said but you were immediately interrupted “I know, but at least let me get a job to handle my own expenses, please Y/N” he gave you those puppy eyes that he knew by now you could never resist “fine, but under one condition, you go to a shrink” you said as you took the clothes and handed them to the cashier along with the money, you managed to buy so much with so little and have spare change, enough for a meal or so.

“A shrink? I’m fine” he huffed, you raised an eyebrow at him “no shrink, no job,” you said as you carried some of the bags, Jason carried the rest “this is so fucking unfair! I can’t be helped, I’ve already told you so” he said as he made his way out of the store with you following behind, clearly, he’s pissed “that’s bullshit and you know it, maybe they can’t help you out with everything but at least with something! It’s barely twice a week for a couple of hours is it really that bad?” you argued, trying to make him see your point of view “you’re right, that’s bullshit, you know if you want me gone why don’t you just say so?” he snapped at you for the first time ever, you’ve seen him sad, you’ve seen him scared, even happy at some point but never this angry and honestly? It was scary as fuck.

“I don’t want you gone, I want the opposite,” you said as calm as possible “yeah right, I’m leaving tomorrow, thanks for everything,” he said as he made his way back to the apartment, you sighed, _did I just push it so far_? You’ve only suggested that because you were so worried about him, you wanted to help him nothing more, even though you’ve barely known him for a week but the kid grew on you, he felt like family, like a little brother or a friend, you walked in behind him and ordered pizza for the two of you, he didn’t bother saying anything to you, he just sat down on the couch, he didn’t even eat anything that night just to make a statement, you tried your best to make him talk to you, or at least get out of whatever this weird mode is no avail.

You repeated thousands of times that you didn’t want him to go until you were too tired that you basically dragged yourself to bed, he didn’t follow you this time, he just there, you were worried but you eventually fell asleep, you had a busy day tomorrow and hopefully when you wake up Jason would be more understateding.

Jason sat down quietly the whole time as his life flashed in front of him, he didn’t really pay attention to what was happening around him, even though he seemed angry he was actually lost in his own thoughts again, he stayed like that for a while, and when he finally looked at the clock it was past midnight, he laid down tiredly on the couch and tried to fall asleep, was he really leaving in the morning? He’s happy here for the first time in a very long time, he wanted to stay so bad, fuck, he regretted his actions and words, why does he have to be like this? Self-destructive! Hours passed by, you were deep in your sleep when you shifted in your bed, you slowly opened your eyes when you felt a movement in your room, at first you didn’t see anything but when you were somehow awake you saw Jason sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Jason, you okay?” you mumbled sleepily, now sitting up “I don’t want to leave, I’m happy here with you, I know I’m a burden and you probably just want to get rid of me but I enjoy staying here with you, you make me feel safe, and even crazier that you are the closest thing I’ve had to a family in the past few years, please don’t make me go, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean shit, I just do that, I storm at people, you are right… I could use the help, where I’m from we don’t really ask for help and now I’m rumbling, do you still want me around?” he asked nervously as he chewed the inside of his cheeks.

You looked at him surprised as you processed everything that came out of his mouth, you sympathized with the boy who you figured that he cried from how broken his voice sounds, you opened your arms for him and he knew what that meant, he jumped into your warm embrace quickly and you held him as he poured his feelings in choked sobs, “I don’t want you to go Jason, **you’re home**” you whispered repeatedly in his ears as you held him until he was finally convinced and calmed down, you both ended up cuddling on the bed and shortly after, you fell asleep.

The next morning you took Jason to a psychiatrist which you contacted a while ago, well, they were friends with your family so you’d get a special price, one that you could actually afford, you didn’t work on any paintings that day, you waited for Jason to finish his session at the reception, you wanted to show him your entire support, the first time is always the hardest, even though you doubted this was Jason’s first session but this was different.

Meanwhile Jason sat there unconvinced of the whole situation, they’d tell him what he already knows, that he’s a fuck-up, and he should just go and die because that’s how much of trouble he is, and give him pills to numb his feelings and drug him until he can’t move so everyone could just move on with their lives. The shrink asked him a few questions about his past, Jason replied with no interest, that’s how the entire hour was spent “so… what’s wrong with me?” he finally asked when his time was up “nothing” the psychiatrist replied “nothing?” he asked with a slight frown, of course, there’s something! He’s poison!

“Nothing, you definitely are traumatized, you have a post-traumatic stress disorder, you seem to have anger issues but I believe they are manageable if we direct them in the right place they’ll turn to something productive, other than that, everything is normal considering your background, but mostly, I suggest we get you a life coach” the older said, Jason furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, he just said he’s traumatized and mentally unstable let alone self-destructive kind of angry and it seemed so fine! What on earth was a life coach? “You mentioned you barely sleep at night so I’ll only prescribe you sleeping pills for now,” he added, Jason nodded, and after that, he showed him the way out and asked Y/N to join in instead.

You followed inside and then the two of you discussed Jason’s situation, you were told of a list of possible issues that the boy might have and how to deal with every situation, how you shouldn’t freak him out by constantly mentioning them to him and how you should pay him extra attention for him, apparently no one paid him enough attention before now.

When you got out Jaso was there, he looked at you with worry in his eyes, he was about to open his mouth when you started speaking “no I’m not going to kick you out, yes I still want you around, now come on, let’s go get you a job!” you said as you wrapped your arms around him and walked out.

It’s been **two weeks** since Jason moved in with you, everything was going so well you couldn’t even believe it! First he started therapy, and it was somehow working on him, he became less stressed? His nightmares weren’t as often as usual, yes he still sleeps in your bed with you but that’s only because that’s where he’s comfortable the most, his safe haven or something like that, you didn’t really mind though.

He started to talk about his feelings more, like instead of throwing a tantrum or zoning out like he’d just walk to you and say “_I don’t feel well_” or “_I’m upset because_” which you deeply appreciated, it made everything much easier, he also told you about this girl he liked, her name was **Rose**, apparently she’s the daughter of the man who kidnapped him, she’s a badass, he tolerated her the most and he liked her, though they were going somewhere then she left, something related to her brother, she was able to distract him for a few minutes and make him feel less shitty.

He also talked about this guy named **Gar**, he was somehow his friend, he helped him few times, and he didn’t make him feel so toxic which he appreciated, he even understood how he constantly needed to prove himself, and that girl **Rachel**, she’s scary as fuck, she made his life so damn hard! She almost killed him, and she’s basically the reason why everyone thought he’d pulled those stupid shenanigens, everyone liked her better, which he didn’t understand, you didn’t understand that either but you thought it was unfair, cause once you get to know Jason, he’s a pretty cool guy.

He told you more about **Dick**, you always had trouble accepting some people are named Dick, you thought of it more of a description than a name, he told you how he made him feel like the constant need to prove himself, how he never trust him to do “_business_” on his own, how he looked at him as if he’s nothing more than a time bomb, he didn’t talk much about his guardian though, but so far, you weren’t a big fan of his family.

It’s been **three weeks** since Jason’s been living with you, he has a job at a local cafe! He brings home free donuts and cupcakes almost every night, he’s helping you around the house too, he’s pretty good at figuring out how to handle taxes, and fix electronic devices, which was surprising but relieving.

Remember the barely working TV from earlier? Now it works as if it’s new, and you have a netflix account too! He’s now officially your unofficial little bro, you guys are looking after each other.

Through the days you’re figuring a side of him that you never expected, he’s shining with confidence, you figured he always had it in him but from what he told you he hid it away, you as well opened up to him about a few things, like how you started depending on yourself from a young age, how you had to help bring money home after your father was injured in a robbery, and how you took responsibility of raising your younger brothers and sisters, even now, you try to save up and use the money to help around your family house, he thought of you as some sort of a hero even though you were only doing the right thing.

One day you were at your work in the supermarket when a man walked in, he had a brown leather jacket on and tanned skin, his hair was brown, as brown as his eyes, he bought a bottle of water, and walked back to you, he didn’t ask about the cost, instead he showed you a picture, a picture of Jason, you looked at the man confused “do you know him?” he asked.

You hesitated but he didn’t give you time to think he immediately started talking “I’m Dick, somehow his brother, please, if you do, tell him he needs to come home” he said as he pushed his phone back into his pocket “that’d be two dollars” you said unimpressed, you remember Dick, one of the people who hurt Jason, there’s no way you’d cooperate with him! You wouldn't do that to Jason! “What?” he furrowed his eyebrows “the water bottle, two dollars” you explained more “yeah, yeah of course,” he said as he pulled out his wallet and paid the money “so… do you know where I can find him? I just need to talk to him, clear things out” he said again but you paid him no attention “thank you for shopping from us, have a nice day” you said, basically kicking him out, Dick got the hint and nodded then walked out, you sighed, what are you going to do now? Should you tell Jason? Why did he have to appear and ruin everything and make everything so damn complicated?

You spent the rest of the shift thinking about what you should do, fuck this is harder than you thought! And when you finally returned home Jason was there, he cooked dinner, he hugged you the minute you walked in and started talking about his day, his session with the shrink, his job, the things he saw on Netflix while he waited for you, you just listened barely saying anything the whole time.

“Earth to Y/N!” he shouted, you almost jumped “what?” you whined “what’s wrong?” he asked, you bit your bottom lip nervously “nothing, why would you think there’s something wrong?” Jason raised an eyebrow at you “for a starter you’re quiet, and you’re hiding something I’m sure of it! I know you too well! You are terrible at hiding secrets so spill it out already” he argued, which was true, you are bad at secrets and he knows you too well “I’m just stressed about the exhibition next week, that’s all” you lied, he sighed and folded his arms “start talking alraedy” he huffed “I met a Dick today” you admitted “oh fuck, what did he do? Did you catch a name? I’ll kick his ass!” he said protectively.

“No, like a guy named Dick… he was asking about you, he said he wanted to clear things out” you sad, Jason let out an unimpressed oh and then an awkward silence filled the room “took him long enough to find me” he mumbled “do you think I should hear him out?” he asked, you felt his happiness started to disappear, you knew that because his eyes stopped shining the way it did before “I don’t know, I mean if you don’t then you might spend your whole life wondering what would’ve happened but if you do that might mean you’ll have to return home and I know it’s selfish of me but I don’t want you to go” you admitted as you looked at him “what’s the right thing to do though?” he asked.

“You’ve already made up your mind, didn’t you?” you asked, he nodded “it’s complicated” he admitted “I told you about me **more** than I’ve told anyone but there are few things that I kept for myself, those are the things that make this so damn complicated” he added, you wondered what he meant but maybe it was for the best if you didn’t know “It’s okay, you should do what’s best for you” you said with a fake smile. 

The two of you washed the dishes quietly that night, then headed to bed, you didn’t feel like continuing your Vikings marathon, neither really slept, both pretended to be asleep, you hated this, you knew you’d have to let him go but you didn’t expect it to be this soon. The next morning both of you pretended like nothing happened, you continued your life normally and went to your jobs, you couldn’t help but keep thinking about whether he went to see him or not, whether he’s okay or not, it's not like he had a phone so you can call and check up on him, you were so unfocused that your supervisors had to remind you to do your job at least five times.

Jason knew Dick wasn’t that far, now that he found him so he decided to find him first, he probably had eyes everywhere so he made sure to be seen, and he felt himself being followed, he stood in an ally “you wanted to see me?” Jason asked without bothering to turn to face the other boy “Jason… thank god you’re okay! We’ve been worried sick about you! How did you even get here?” Dick walked toward him and attempted to hug him but Jason dodged his grip, he didn’t want his hug, the last time he tried to hug him he ended up telling him he’s a murderer “it was Rose, she did all of those things to weaken us! She’s trying to avenge her brother, now she joined Slade, Jason you are in danger, we’re all are, you need to come back home so we can put an end to it” he said without any further introduction “the way I see it, we never had a link from the beginning” Jason replied.

”I’m not coming back, I’m home, all of this is way behind me, I don’t want to be a hero anymore.” he added, “You can’t just quit Jason, Slade is after us all, isolation makes you a target don’t you remember what happened last time?” Dick argued “oh believe me I fucking remember, I was pushed from a twenty stories building! I’ve barely recovered no thanks to you all! It’s not like any of you ever cared! Just leave me alone” he said frustrated, how dare he say that? Until this day he still has nightmares about it, until this day his wounds were still healing and they were nothing compared to his inner wounds!

“Of course we care!” Dick protested but Jason scoffed “bullshit”

“look, we had a rough start I get it, but we have to work together, Jason you are in grave danger! We all are! And if you don’t care about us just think about Y/N I found her, imagine what slade would do when he finds her, it's your call really, but I’m going back to the tower tonight at eleven” he said then walked away.

Dick was right, Jason thought, he has to do it, for Y/N’s sake, he must return and put an end to this, so that night when you returned Jason was there, but he wasn’t the happy boy he became during the past few days, he stood there and waited for you “hey” you mumbled, knowing so well what this was

“I’m sorry… I have to, I have unfinished business to take care of, it’s for everyone’s benefit you know? I really enjoyed staying here, I wish I could stay here, I left my clothes and stuff, figured you could sell them and buy art supplies or something useful” he rambled, you walked up to him and hugged him “shh it’s okay” you soothed him “i understand, besides, it’s not really goodbye, you know where I live, you’ll always have a home here, and I’ll keep your stuff for when you visit okay? We can have sleepovers or something, it’s going to be okay” you tried your best to stay positive for his sake even though deep down you felt your heart being ripped apart.

“Is it really okay i stop by every now and then?” he asked you as he buried himself deeper into your shoulder, clinging to you for life “of course it is! We’ll continue watching Vikings together! And we’ll text every day and face time, yeah?” you asked, he nodded “when do you have to leave?” you asked, putting your best strong girl act ever “in ten minutes” he mumbled, “what do you wanna do until then?” you asked again “this, I want to feel this” he said as his hands clenched to your uniform shirt and buried his face in the crook of your neck, you nodded and held him until it was time to let go.

It’s been **a week** since Jason’s left, you haven’t heard from him ever since, you said you’d text every day but also forgot to exchange numbers how idiotic, but when he left nothing was the same, the house seemed colder and darker than before, sometimes you forget he’s left, so you walk into the house saying stuff like “I’m home” then realize it’s just you, other times you’d walk to the window and think he’s there but he isn’t, not anymore.

It was the day of your exhibition, you were both stressed and excited, you changed the decoration at least three times, the way the paintings were hanging never seemed to satisfy you, you put on a fancy outfit and waited for people to show up and when they did, they didn’t throw tomatoes at your paintings then execute you in front of a public crowd like you’ve expected, instead they loved your work, some even paid money for few paintings!

You wandered around the crowd and talked to as many guests as possible, god you were so happy, but what really caught your attention was one familiar face among all of the strangers, his face, you walked to him in a hurry and he greeted you with a smile “I missed you too” he said jokingly, “asshole! You said you’d call!” you punched his arm playfully then hugged him “you didn’t give me your phone number and I didn’t wanna get it from my resources and sound like a creep” he admitted as he hugged you back “this is… wow! You are talented” he said amazed “well, don’t sound surprised” you rolled your eyes “go to your guests, I’ll take you out to celebrate after” he said as he pulled away and you nodded “you better be there when it’s over” you shouted as you walked away.

And he was, he was there, the two of you went to the cafe where he used to work for a cup of coffee, you caught up with each others’ lives and ever since then, you two became an undeniable part of each other’s lives.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you guys like it, feel free to add any notes or requests down in the comments cause honestly, I'm a little bit of a chit chat myself.


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